Did you find your self craving the new Jungle Rot record this year? Do you like meat and potatoes? Do you like chunky, no frills Death metal? Did you enjoy Grave’s last 4 albums? if you answered yes to the previous questions, just go ahead and order the third album from Germany’s Supreme Carnage. Seriously- what […]

Just when I thought Just Before Dawn was the pinnacle of WW2 themed, Bolt Thrower and Hail of Bullets worshiping death metal, along comes Sweden’s Creeping Flesh  and their compilation of demos and EPs to deliver a salvo of impressive tracks that do all the the bands above justice. While not having the big names […]

Although I enjoyed the debut from North Carolina’s Abhorrent Deformity, Entities of Malevolence, I can say I have not revisited it since its 2015 release. It was a solid slab of brutal/tech death that hinted at something better, and here is the something better. Way better. Though certainly still lingering in the putrid Comatose wheelhouse […]

I’m always excited to see local metal bands from here in Missouri get some recognition or sign to a decent label. St Louis’s Cast the Stone were formed in 2002 and I crossed paths with bassist Derek Engemann at a few Sounds of the  Underground/Summer Slaughter/Harkonin (another great St Louis act) shows in St  Louis  at […]

The US is certainly upping the HM-2 death metal game here in the last few years with the likes of Fatalist, Skinfather, Terminate, Horrendous, Unwilling Flesh and just this year,  we have had excellent releases from Angerot, Boethiath and one man project, Ripped to Shreds. The brain child of one Andrew Lee,  formerly of Disincarnation, 埋葬 (Chinese […]

I’ll get right to it- I still think Deafheaven’s Sunbather is a landmark album, black metal or other wise and consider its standout tracks “The Pecan Tree”, “Dreamhouse” and “Sunbather” absolute gems that I still play regularly. However, I wasn’t nearly as enamored with the follow up, New Bermuda as the band tried to be […]

It looks like a copy of Grave’s Into the Grave and some HM -2 pedals have finally made their way to Russia as the debut full length from Nizhny Novgorod’s Wombripper is a pure, unabashed, primal throwback to Grave’s classic debut. Honestly- that’s probably you all you need to know right? Some Russian metal fans might […]

Considering my love of all things symphonic, especially symphonic black metal and even more especially my love of French horns and brass, you’d think i’d be more aware of Hungary’s Sear Bliss. I have heard the name whispered on the lips of the elite  with 2004s Glory and Perdition often mentioned as a classic black […]

I’m not too familiar with Veld, so after a little research I discover they are from Belarus, have been around since 1995 and have 3 albums under their belt , including 2015s Daemonic (The Art of Dantalian) , which was reviewed and enjoyed in these very pages. So I thought I’d give album number 4 a go. […]

Sometimes as a reviewer, you get a bit burnt out. It often becomes tiring trying to find new and creative ways to describe the vast multitude of styles and genres within the metal universe. In particular, black metal continues to grow, expand and develop, shattering ceilings and pushing envelopes with artists like Deafheaven, Vallendusk, Paths, […]

Here is a solid 17 minute,  2 song independent release from Polish black metal act Mystic Rites. I’m not familiar with the band, but they hit me up on Facebook asking for a review, sent me a CD, so here we are. I have not heard any of the band’s prior out put since 2012, […]

Reviewing something lovingly created by one of your peers is always a challenge. The balance between being honest yet objective and not destroying friendships or relationships is a hard one. Such is the case with All is Phantom, the debut from Ghostbound a project from the mind of Alec A Head, a man whose reviews […]

I’ll tell you what, Transcending Obscurity Records, is having a strong run here recently. The tiny Independent Indian label has churned out excellent releases from the likes of Jupiterian, De Profundis, Gaerea , Down Among the Dead Men,  and one of the best death metal records of the year in Depravity’s Evil Upheaval,  and that with […]

The Maori wardance, or ‘Haka’ is one of the coolest, most metal things ever (here’s a video if you have not seen one ), and I’m surprised it has not been more prevalent in metal, especially considering the violence and bloodshed deeply seeded in Maori/New Zealand history. Well here is Auckland’s teenage trio, Alien Weaponry […]

” If I don’t listen to my imaginary friend, why the fuck should I listen to yours? People think their worship is some key to happiness. That’s just how he owns you. Even I’m not crazy enough to believe that distortion of reality. So fuck God. He’s not a good enough scapegoat for me” -“Glorification ov […]

The side (now also virtually a solo) project from Marduk’s Arioch isn’t very prolific. But when he does release an album, the world listens as it usually commands your attention. A 6 year wait lingered between the debut full length Salvation, and its follow Maranantha, and now a 9 year wait for the sudden and […]

Ill keep short and sweet, like the 11 songs on the third album from Dave Ingram (ex-Benediction, Ursinne, Echelon, Just Before Dawn) and Rogga Johannson ( too fucking many to type). Much like their prior two albums (2013s self titled debut and 2015s Exterminate! Annihilate! Destroy!),  … And You Will Obey Me is a more crust/d […]

Canada’s Hypnotic Dirge Records is best known for its crippling doom metal but a few recent forays into atmospheric/depressive/black metal such as Kassad, None, Kval, Mavradoxa  and such haven’t been quite as successful in my humble opinion, but a here is a glorious, rending return to from from Canada’s own aptly named “prairie doom” act Altars […]

Sweden’s Black Lion Records has developed a real ear for 90s styled melodic/symphonic black, and from the label that has released excellent albums from the likes of Northwind Wolves, Hyperion, Meadows End, Sons ov Omega, Mist of Misery, Legacy of Emptiness and Vindland, comes another winner in the full length debut from homeland act Wormlight. I’ve […]

You’d think the UKs Memoriam, featuring Bolt Thrower’s own Karl Willets and Andrew Whale would be the natural heir apparent to Bolt Thrower and their trundling form of war themed death metal, but it appears Sweden’s all star troupe Just Before Dawn are actually the more fitting replacement, even more so with another Bolt Thrower growler […]

I have to hand to to Travis Weickum. He has been fronting Colorado’s  Skinned now since 1995 and over the course of 4 albums, 2 splits, some demos and singles, some on labels, many independent. He has been the sole member of Skinned that’s been on all of them amid a whirlwind on members that has […]

Back in 2015, Matt Harvey of Exhumed fame gathered some of his pals from Possessed, Malevolent Creation and Derketa and released Savage Land, an  almost note for note  homage to Chuck Schuldiner,  Death and the seminal Leprosy album. He followed it up with an EP, Dimensions of Horror  a more raw release that seemed more focused on earlier Death […]

What grabbed my attention immediately about the promo for this initially digitally, self released (since licensed by Canada’s fledgling lack Market Metal), Swedish death metal styled album was that is was mixed by Tomas fucking Skogsberg, AND has guest appearances from LG Petrov (Entombed)and James Murphy (Death, Obituary).  That’s an instant click bait for me. […]

Back in the early and mid 00s, female fronted metal absolutely blew up, especially in the melodic death metal, metalcore and screamo genres. Spearheaded by matriarchs Karyn Crisis and Angela Gossow, bands like Walls of Jericho, Landmine Marathon, In This Moment, The Agonist, Ikilledabearaonce, Hiretsukan, Undying, Eyes Set to Kill, Circle Takes the Square, Made Out of […]

I was drawn to the 4th album from Switzerland’s Stortregn (Swedish for ‘downpour’) by the as always killer Dan Seagrave artwork alone as I had never heard of this band or any of their albums. But as what happens a few times on blindly checking out a promo, I ended up really liking this band and […]